Waking
by RequiemoftheMind
Summary: AU Fanfic of Fake Karakura Town. Orihime goes to the roof to find Ichigo. Ulquiorra drops him from the pillar, defeated. Uryu fights off Ulquiorra so Orihime can heal Ichigo, and it works. Ichigo gets back up. So why is everything so different?
1. Fall

**I do not own the Bleach manga, anime, or movies! None of those works are, nor will they ever be, mine.**

 **I only claim this story.**

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Orihime

I don't know exactly what changed. Ichigo went out the building a minute ago to fight Ulquiorra, and Uryu stayed back to protect me. Then suddenly a weight pressed down on my body. Uryu looked over at me, and I saw him briefly hunch over as well from the force of the reiatsu. He looked up toward the roof of Las Noches. "What happened up there?" I knew, vaguely. I felt it. This wasn't Ichigo's. This was too heavy, too widespread. _Something's wrong._ "Ishida-kun." He looked over at me. "Could you carry me up there with your power?" He stared at me. "Please, Uryu."

He stared at me for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. We'll both go." As we ascended, Uryu started talking. "Is this..spiritual energy?" He looked at me, shocked. We'd faced the shinigami in the Seireitei, but this reiatsu was something else altogether. I felt like a hand was closed around my body, slowly squeezing as we ascended. "We need to hurry." I nodded. I just needed to get up there.

I jumped off Ishida's platform onto the roof of Las Noches and scanned around. There were four or five pillars, most reduced to rubble by the fight. Ichigo was nowhere in sight. One pillar stood on the roof in front of me, the last one standing. Uryu looked around as well. "I don't feel Kurosaki's reiatsu anywhere." I wasn't surprised. The black reiatsu hung in the air all around us like a dense, heavy fog. It would be difficult to find anyone's reiatsu in this.

I looked over at Uryu, then looked around again. _Where is Ichigo?_ I noticed a shadow on the ground, and followed it to the top of the pillar in front of us. Ulquiorra stood at the top of the last standing pillar, silhouetted in the moonlight. Horns extending behind his head, wings protruding out of his back, and his tail wrapped around Ichigo's throat. Ichigo's body was limp in the air, dangling, his chest bare. His body was bruised and bloody, cuts and bruises crisscrossing his torso and stomach. "Ku..ro..sa...ki?"

The Espada turned his head, looking down the pillar at me. "You're just in time." he said, his voice calm, like I was home in time for dinner. "Now is the moment that the man you trusted dies." He tapped Ichigo's chest with a finger, building up the energy of his reiatsu into a Cero.

"Stop!" I screamed desperately up at him. Black reiatsu, more than I had ever seen, shot through Ichigo and out of his back in a black Cero tinged with green. Ulquiorra unwrapped his tail from around Ichigo's throat and dropped him from the pillar, the reiatsu from his Cero still disturbing the air.

I saw the hole as Ichigo fell from the edge, his body limp. The hole in his chest, almost big enough to fit my head through it. "Nooooooooo!" My eyes stretched wide in shock, I ran forward to him. I managed to catch Ichigo with Soten Kisshun just before he hit the roof. I couldn't think, I just ran to him.

Ulquiorra suddenly stood in front of me, his wings outstretched. "It's useless. Your powers can't bring him back." I wanted to hit him, to demand he stop fighting my friends, stop talking, but I was too numb. His wing snapped back, deflecting a shot from Uryu's bow. He looked over his shoulder at Uryu, and I took the chance to run past him to Ichigo.

I activated my Soten Kisshun over Ichigo, the golden glow illuminating his bloody body. Some of the blood from his body had leaked out and spread in a puddle around his chest. I looked over his body as he stared straight ahead, his eyes lifeless. _What should I do? What should I do? I healed him before, when I first saw him after coming here. I can do this._ I concentrated on the Soten Kisshun, pouring my reiatsu into it. Ichigo might still be clinging to life. _I was able to do it before. Why isn't it working? This should work! I can do this!_ The hole still prominent in his chest disagreed with me, mocking me and echoing the Espada's words. _'Your powers can't bring him back.' I left to keep him safe, but he came after me. Kurosaki should be okay. I had faith in him. He's strong. I expected him to win._

Uryu suddenly flew past me, his left arm bleeding from the wrist. The left hand was gone, blood in its place, dripping along the roof's surface. He skidded to a stop. I stared at him. "Ishida..kun."

He looked over at me, panting. "I've already stopped the bleeding. Take care of Kurosaki, Orihime." He got back up and charged at Ulquiorra, who swatted him away with his tail.

"Ishida-kun!" I turned away from Kurosaki-kun and activated Santen Kesshun between Uryu and Ulquiorra. He smashed through it easily with his tail, and I watched as he stalked forward slowly.

Ulquiorra looked down at Ishida. "You said you were calm. I see none of that here."

 _Ishida is beaten. He doesn't have the strength to win this, and neither do I. This Espada is too strong._ What do I do? What can I do? Kurosaki-kun. _He's gone, defeated._ _He's...dead, and I couldn't help save him._ Not this time. Then I heard something stand up behind me.


	2. Rise

**I do not own the Bleach manga, anime, or movies! None of those works are, nor will they ever be, mine.**

 **I only claim this story.**

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 **Orihime**

I looked back over my shoulder, unsure about what I might see. I was surprised and shocked. Ichigo stood behind me, but I didn't feel his reiatsu.

I felt only the darker part of his reiatsu, like the hollow of my brother. He even looked somewhat like my brother. No. Looking at him, he looks much more similar to Ulquiorra, just without the wings and tail. He had a full mask, chalk white skin with markings on his chest, and his orange hair was down to his waist. In his place stood a Hollow.

"Kurosaki?" He turned to me. "Is that Kurosaki?" Uryu stared in shock at Ichigo. I felt the same way.

Ulquiorra stood still behind us, looking straight at Ichigo. "There's no way that you could survive that Cero. Who are you?"

The Hollow stretched out his hand, and his Zanpaktou flew into his hand. He swung it down, sending out a shockwave that blew me across the roof. Uryu caught me by my arm and pulled me next to him, crouching down.

This wasn't Kurosaki-kun. "No, Ishida-kun. This isn't Kurosaki-kun. This is his hollow."

Uryu turned to me, disbelief and shock on his face. "His hollow? What do you mean? Is he a Hollow now?!" He raised his bow with his right arm, and trained it on Ichigo. His wounded left arm came up bloody, and he dropped his arm. He couldn't make any reishi arrows with his wrist broken like that.

I laid my hand on his arm, eased it down and started healing it. "Ishida-kun, Kurosaki has control over it. He's trained to do so with other people who are like him. Just wait. He'll beat this." Uryu looked at me, then back at Ichigo. Shaking his head in frustration, he sat back and let me heal him.

Ulquiorra stood in the same place as before. He looked unfazed. "I'll ask again. Who are you?" The Hollow gave a roar in response. "So, words are meaningless." He raised his hand and fired a black Cero. The hollow that was Ichigo fired off a red Cero from between its horns, and the two blasts met each other. A giant explosion rocked the roof, and Uryu and I closed our eyes because of the force of the wind. When I opened my eyes a moment later, and saw Ichigo and Ulquiorra in the air. The Hollow ripped off Ulquiorra's left arm and roared again, vibrating the air around us.

The smoke from the explosion framed him as he stood for a moment, just holding the severed arm of the Espada in his right hand. Ulquiorra landed back on the roof, shook his head, and a new arm jutted out from his shoulder. "My greatest power isn't offense, but regeneration. All the others traded that ability for greater strength. It is not possible for you to defeat me if you just stand there and watch after ripping off an arm." He placed his hands together, and a green light shone between his fingers. Then he spread his hands apart, and the light formed what looked like a giant fiery green arrow.

"Lightning Lance." He looked up at hollow Ichigo. "Stay right there. I would prefer not to fire this up close." He threw it, and it flew right by Ichigo's head, then sailed far out into the desert landscape of Hueco Mundo behind him. I sighed in relief. Okay, we're safe here. Then the blast reached me, and it forced both of us into a crouch again. Ulquiorra said something, but I couldn't hear him over the wind.

Uryu looked up, his eyes widening. "He can fire more than one?!" I looked up at that, and saw Ulquiorra had another lance in his hand. That is not good. If he throws that here, we will die. Then the Hollow appeared behind him and threw the Espada's severed arm. Ulquiorra wheeled around and slashed the arm out of the air with his lance.

"Did you think that would unsettle me?" Ulquiorra prepared to throw the lance, but the Hollow grabbed the tip in his hand. After a second, claws grew from his hands, and he crushed the spear like a soda can. The air rushed out from the lance and caused a crack in the dome of the roof. Ichigo- No, the Hollow, that's not Ichigo! -cut Ulquiorra in his chest, his sword a black blur, bringing his arm down to the ground like a guillotine blade. Ulquiorra's chest gushing blood, he fell onto his back, limbs splayed out over the dome, beaten.

Uryu stared at the scene. "He...beat him." I felt the same way as he did. It was finally over.

Ulquiorra spoke, eyes straining at the side to look at the Hollow above him. "To think I was beaten by a human turned hollow. It's...absolutely absurd." The Hollow stomped his foot onto Ulquiorra's head, pressing it into the roof , and charged up a whirling red Cero. Uryu leaned forward, shock and outrage on his face. Ulquiorra continued talking, his voice still calm. "No mercy...how very hollow-like. I don't mind. I've lost." The Cero built up more energy. "Do it."

The world disappeared in an explosion of red fire.


	3. Going Back In

**Ichigo might be OOC in this chapter. I tried, folks.**

 **Also looking for a beta reader for the next few chapters of this story. Just PM** **me if you want to apply (should have a grasp of the Japanese language)**

 **I do not own the Bleach manga, anime, or movies! None of those works are, nor will they ever be, mine.**

 **I only claim this story.**

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 **Orihime**

The smoke swirled around us as Uryu and I crouched behind my Santen Kesshun. The smoke cleared after a moment, and Uryu gasped. The Hollow stood in the air above a giant crater, holding up the torso of Ulquiorra by his right wing. He turned and threw the fourth Espada down to the roof. Ulquiorra's body hit a piece of rubble and stopped.

Hollow Ichigo walked toward Ulquiorra, stopping next to him and raised his sword above the Espada's throat and stabbed down.

Uryu rushed over and grabbed his hand, stopping the sword almost an inch above Ulquiorra's throat. "Stop, Kurosaki. He's defeated, there's no need to cut up his corpse."

The masked face turned slowly towards him, and Uryu's right arm disappeared, leaving a bloody hole in his torso. The Hollow stepped over Ulquiorra and charged up a Cero, still turned towards Uryu. "Wait, Kurosaki-kun!" The Cero got even larger. "Kurosaki-kun!" I reached out towards Uryu and moved him away on Soten Kisshun.

Just as the Cero fired, Ulquiorra appeared over the Hollow's shoulder and sliced off one of the horns on its mask. The explosion ripped through the air above the dome, and blew Uryu into me. I caught him and started healing his ribs. Ishida-kun. Kurosaki-kun, beat this.

Ichigo's hollow mask cracked, showing his face. His face was pale, and he swayed slowly before falling face-first onto the roof. I looked at him. He was still holding his sword. "Kurosaki..."

I got up to go to him, then looked back down at Ishida. He was still pale, but he nodded for me to go. I ran to Ichigo and checked him over. Ulquiorra still stood behind Ichigo, looking on and holding his lance in one hand. He turned around when I reached him. Ichigo's skin was cold to the touch. I felt myself crying. I couldn't save him. I'm still stuck relying on you, Kurosaki-kun. Clearing my eyes, I jerked back as a purple light shot out of his back and swirled over him. Swirling over him, the light flowed into the hole in his back, and it disappeared, leaving clear skin in its place.

"Kurosaki-kun?" I couldn't believe it. Could he really be healed? I looked back over my shoulder. Uryu sat up, using his left arm as a support because his right arm was still regenerating.

He stared in awe at Ichigo. "The hole is gone?" He tensed when he saw Ulquiorra. The Espada had some of his leg and arm back, and his wings had fully regenerated. "He's still alive?!"

"Ishida-kun. You're okay." I smiled at that.

He smiled back at me. "Thanks to you, Orihime. You healed me."

Ichigo jumped up to his feet, startling me. "Orihime." Ulquiorra stared at Ichigo.

Ichigo looked over at Uryu. "Ishida...what happened to you?"

"You're a stubborn one, Kurosaki Ichigo." Ulquiorra stood a few feet behind Ichigo.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder, then slowly turned around to face him. "Ulquiorra..." He stared at him. "What happened to your arm and leg?"

Ulquiorra stared back at him, then gestured to his sword, which Ichigo was still holding. "Let us finish our duel, Kurosaki."

Ichigo tensed, still looking at Ulquiorra's regenerating limbs. "Ulquiorra. Did I do that to you?"

The Fourth Espada sighed. "It doesn't matter, Kurosaki. Let's finish."

Ichigo looked at him. "Alright." He took a battle stance, and I stared at him in shock. Uryu stood up from behind me.

"Kurosaki...what are you doing?!" he yelled. "He's beaten! There's no need to do this!" I stood and nodded. Ichigo turned and stared at me.

I steeled myself and nodded. "Don't lose, Kurosaki-kun."

He paused, then smiled. "Of course not, Orihime." Ichigo turned his attention back to Ulquiorra, and stared at him. Ulquiorra's wings were disintegrating, the air blowing it away.

The Espada looked back at them distastefully. "Tcch, the damage was this bad?" He looked back at Ichigo and sighed. "Well, Kurosaki, it looks like there will be no finishing this duel. You win."

"What?" Ichigo gaped at him. "I didn't even beat you. How can you say it's over?"

I couldn't tell if Ulquiorra was glaring at him or just watching. "Difficult to the end. Fine. Kill me, Kurosaki."

Ichigo gaped at him. "What?"

Ulquiorra glared at him now, his face drawing into a frown. "Kill me. That will finish it."

Ichigo disappeared, and Ulquiorra was split open with a slice to his chest. He fell, for the last time. He stared into the sky silently, his face never losing its stoic expression. Ichigo looked away from his body and walked behind me.

I looked at him. Ulquiorra tensed and slowly looked over at me, meeting my eyes. "Are you afraid of me, girl?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all." Ichigo looked at me.

Ulquiorra stared at me from the ground, and his expression changed from stoic to resigned.

He sighed, and didn't say anything else as his body followed his wings and disintegrated, blowing out into the air of Hueco Mundo. There were a few moments of silence after that. Ulquiorra was beaten, there wasn't much to say. Uryu looked at Ichigo. "Kurosaki. Your eyes are yellow."

He laughed lightly. "Well, yeah. I've been using the hollow powers for a while. My eyes don't automatically go back to normal, it takes some time."

I looked into his eyes. They were yellow, not brown like before. I used to be scared of those eyes, but they were still his: strong and kind, but sad too. Then his eyes flashed as they landed on me. They lit up in excitement and he smiled. "Orihime. You're safe, good."

"Kurosaki-kun."

He smiled and looked back at the hole in the roof. "I have to get down there. The Espada are still up and running around." He looked over at Ishida, and motioned to me. "Ishida, could you stay with Orihime? I'll be back in a little while, and we can leave." I still have things to do here, Kurosaki-kun.

"Sure, Kurosaki. I'll keep her safe." Ichigo smiled again, but something was off about it. It wasn't confident. It looked more like...a smirk. Before I could question it, Ichigo turned and jumped down into Las Noches.

Ishida stood next to me and looked at the hole in the roof. "He'll be fine, Orihime."

"I know he will, Ishida-kun." Now it's time for me to go. "Tsubaki. Ten Happa Shirudo! I reject!" Tsubaki materialized from my hairpin, then turned to Uryu and flew into his stomach, blasting into him like a small bomb.

Uryu was thrown to the ground from the force of the hit, and looked at me with shock. "Orihime?"

I shook my head and walked away from him. "Sorry, Ishida-kun."

Ishida yelled at me from where he lay on the ground. "Orihime! What will you do?" He looked into my eyes, searching for something. I thought of what I could do, and who I was protecting. Something in my expression must have convinced him, because he nodded.

I smiled at him as I lifted into the air on Santen Kesshun. "I'm going to change myself. Goodbye, Ishida-kun."

Uryu looked on as I went down into Las Noches.

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 **Please leave reviews! Tell what you like, what you don't, all of it!**


	4. Yammy

**Uryu**

Ulquiorra's body disintegrated out into the air of Hueco Mundo as a fine black mist. I thought I saw a golden glow behind a pillar, but it faded away.

I focused my attention back on Kurosaki and reared back slightly. "Kurosaki...your eyes are yellow." The rest of his eyes were normal, but the irises were yellow instead of brown.

He chuckled lightly and looked up at me. "Yeah, I've been using my hollow powers for a while. My eyes take some time to go back to normal." He held my gaze for a moment longer, then looked over at Orihime, his eyes flashing with an intense light that set me on edge. "Orihime. You're safe, good." He smiled at her. She looked so relieved he was alive, so I didn't say anything else about his eyes. _I've never seen your eyes like that, Kurosaki._

Orihime looked like she wanted to hug him. "Kurosaki-kun."

He smiled and looked at the hole in the roof behind us. "I have to get down there. The Espada are still up and running around." He looked over at me, and motioned to Orihime. "Ishida, could you stay with Orihime? I'll be back in a little while, and we can leave."

I nodded at him. "Sure, Kurosaki. I'll keep her safe." Ichigo smiled again, but something was off about it. It wasn't confident. It looked flat, almost predatory. Before I could question it, Ichigo turned and jumped down into Las Noches.

I stood next to Orihime and looked at the hole in the roof. "He'll be fine, Orihime."

She nodded. "I know he will, Ishida-kun." She stood still for a moment, then turned to me and thrust out her hand. "Tsubaki." A little winged thing flew from the side of her head and hovered next to her. _What is that?_ "Ten Happa Shirudo! I reject!" The winged thing turned to me and flew into my stomach, winding me.

I was thrown to the ground from the force of the hit, and looked at Orihime in shock. My breath came out in a wheeze. "Orihime?" _Why did she..attack me?_

She shook her head sadly and walked in a kind of sideways motion, away from me. "Sorry, Ishida-kun."

"Orihime! What will you do?" I yelled at her from where I lay on the ground. I looked into her eyes, and saw only resolve there. I couldn't do much right now, so I nodded. I couldn't stop her now, but there would be an explanation later.

She smiled back at me as she was lifted into the air on Santen Kesshun. "I'm going to change myself. Goodbye, Ishida-kun."

I looked on after her as she went down into Las Noches. A glowing oval, with a black wing inside it, floated after her down into the hole. I stood up slowly from the roof, clutching my stomach. _Why did you do that, Orihime?_

Something shook the roof. I heard what sounded like an explosion from the far wall in front of me under the roof. I ran over to it and looked down. About five metres below me, a giant cloud of dust floated up from the wall. Then a head shoved itself through, parting the smoke. The rest of the body followed, along with eight pairs of legs. _What in the world? I've never seen that Arrancar like that. Where did it come from?_ The giant yelled at the ground in rage, stomping after a small figure in a black Shihakusho. "Die, you puny Shinigami!" _Ah, I know that voice. This is that big Espada that I sent down the tower earlier. So this transformation must be his sword release, like the Primera Espada from earlier._

I shot an arrow down at him. It whistled through the air, then bounced off the side of his head. I stared at it. _I forgot about his Hierro, that tough skin of his!_ The giant turned slowly and looked up at me. His eyes thinned as he spotted me, then glared. _He's going to destroy me._ I jumped back to find a better vantage point. That saved my life.

The edge of the roof exploded from something fast, a red ball of energy, gouging a hole where I'd been standing. A Cero followed and gouged an even larger hole, slanting . The red reiatsu blasted into the sky a metre away from me, then dissipated.

"Glasses bastard!" The giant roared up at me from below, "After this shinigami dies, I'm coming for you!" I used Hirenkyaku to get to the ground quicker. Orihime had left, voluntarily this time. After I helped this Shinigami to beat this Espada, I'm going to get her back.


End file.
